Title: Ignite the Stars (Ignite the Stars #1)
Author: Maura Milan
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company
Publication Date: September 14, 2018
400 pages
5/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cōcha is a seventeen-year-old girl.
A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.
Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?
Review
If she was going down, she was going to do it one way and one way alone.
Maura milan, Ignite the stars
Gloriously.
Happy Monday book friends! I picked up Ignite the Stars from the library this past weekend as I was granted an eARC of the sequel, Eclipse the Skies, from Netgalley. Hard to read and review the second book without reading the first, right?? I’ve seen this duology around the bookstagram world but hadn’t picked it up yet. If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you’ll know that space themed sci-fi isn’t always up my alley. BUT. Ignite the Stars has my heart and I will do anything for Ia and Knives, okay? Don’t hurt my precious babes.
Ignite the Stars introduces Ia (eye-yah) Cocha, a renegade fighting against the Commonwealth because they destroyed her home planet. She is known by many names, but everyone believes her to be a man. When she is captured assisting refugees, her true identity is discovered and she is given a choice. Go to prison forever, or serve at Aphelion – the Commonwealth’s top training academy. She chooses to train at Aphelion, so she can learn all of their secrets. What she doesn’t count on, is meeting Brinn and Knives, two people who will make her question her allegiances.
Knives is my new book boyfriend. Love the name, and love the banter between him and Ia. He is a the general’s son who has no love for the Commonwealth himself. He is hurting, which is probably why I like him so much and why he and Ia work so well together. Definitely a slow burn romance here for all you fans of that.
Ignite the Stars has all the epic elements of a sci-fi novel; space travel, interplanetary war, otherworldly aspects, etc. but also has a not so slight racial undertone. It brings up a conversation around race and refugees that is very pertinent in today’s society. It is still a YA book, but I enjoy the more serious undertones and themes.
For fans of Once & Future and Illuminae, Ignite the Stars is a captivating beginning to this duology.
Happy reading, bookish friends 🙂
Baltimore Bibliophile 